Predators Hang On Against Force

Orlando Wins 52-49 With The Help Of A Controversial Call In The Final Seconds.

April 23, 2005|By Andrew B. Carter, Sentinel Staff Writer

The arena public-address announcer screamed a little bit louder. The fans in TD Waterhouse Centre banged their thundersticks a little bit harder. The game had been billed as the most important of the season to this point for the Orlando Predators, and the atmosphere reaffirmed it.

So did the Predators' performance. Right up until the last 97 seconds.

Orlando led the Georgia Force by 10 and held possession in the closing moments Friday night. Predators players readied for celebration. The intense noise that had been floating around the stands slowed to a lull. Victory seemed imminent.

And then the Force almost stole it away. Atlanta recovered a bobbled snap with 1:37 to play and cut its deficit to three seconds later.

But the Predators -- despite all the adversity, all the injuries -- scrapped and preserved a 52-49 Arena Football League victory.

The Force entered with the best record in the league and hopes of building a two-game lead over Orlando in the Southern Division. The Predators entered with mounting injuries and a quarterback making his first professional start.

Yet Georgia (9-4) trailed from the beginning and never caught Orlando (9-4), which jumped to a two-touchdown lead in the first six minutes.

Still the Force rally -- and two controversial rulings in the final minute -- etched a memorable finish. After they cut the Predators' lead to 52-49 with 57 seconds left, Georgia recovered the ensuing onside kick. A few plays later, Force players jumped in jubilation when Tony Bergeron landed in the end zone with a Matt Nagy pass in his hands.

But an official rushed to the scene and declared it an incomplete pass -- the ball apparently bounced on the turf before the reception. When the Predators regained possession, it appeared they had scored a touchdown, too, one that would have clinched the game in the final moments.

Instead, Cory Fleming's catch was spotted on the 1, which turned the ball over to the Force. Georgia kicker Nelson Garner missed a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have tied it as time expired.

"We've been playing that kind of football every week," Fleming said. "We want to be able to put teams away. That's going to be the key with us going to Las Vegas, if we can put teams away. We've got a find a way to do that."

Despite a roster ravaged by injuries, the Predators did find a way, at least for a night. Chris Sanders, making his first-ever professional start, completed an efficient 20 of 34 passes for three touchdowns and 236 yards. Fleming stepped up his receiving game and hauled in nine catches for 123 yards.

And whenever the Force threatened, Orlando answered.

"Our whole team stepped up to the occasion," Coach Jay Gruden said. "We played a heck of a Georgia team and we're happy as heck to get out of here with a win."

With the victory, the Predators moved into a first-place tie. The team is tied with Georgia in the standings but owns the tiebreaker. The win also clinched Orlando's 14th consecutive winning season.

Schedule change: The Predators' May 1 game against the Philadelphia Soul in Philadelphia has been rescheduled.

The game was originally to be played May 1 at 1 p.m. It will now be played at 7 p.m. on April 30. The change is a result of the Philadelphia 76ers' first-round NBA playoff game.